Page 42 - Real Rochdale Issue 23 August 2024
P. 42

ALL EYES ON ROCHDALE



                                         AT TATTON











                                                       ABOUT THE WRITER                                                                                                                          gardening. It also raised
                                                       Silvana Devine is a social and therapeutic                                                                                                awareness of our charity
                                                       horticulture practitioner at Petrus Incredible                                                                                            and demonstrated the
                                                       Edibles Rochdale (PIER) which is a community                                                                                              impact of the social
                                                       allotment on Belfield Road in Rochdale.                                                                                                   prescribing work taking
                                                                                                                                                                                                 place at our community
                                                                                                                                                                                                 allotment PIER.
                                                                                                                                structures within the           the vision for the Ginnel to
                  PIER is a community allotment and gardens located on Belfield Road (next to the Croft Shifa                   garden. They joined us on       take shape.                      The legacy of the
                  Medical Centre) in Rochdale, which belongs to homelessness charity Petrus. It is a                            site to help with the build, as                                  Kaleidoscope Ginnel will live
                  beautiful, relaxing and therapeutic oasis that grows fruit and vegetables and is a member of                  did volunteers from             Long term Petrus                 on in Rochdale now that the
                  the wider Incredible Edibles network representing Rochdale. It is open to the public and                      Willmott Dixon who also         supporters, the Cosalea          show has come to an end,
                  people are welcome to visit and take a look around this award-winning garden.                                 rallied their supply chain to   Café in Bury donated
                  Petrus’ vision is to create kind, confident and connected communities through the power of                    provide a donation of PPE.      delicious lunches for the        with four pocket gardens
                                                                                                                                                                                                 created for the community
                  growing food.
                                                                                                                                                                team working on site every       to enjoy.
                                                                                                                                Our friends at J Parker’s       day for three weeks.
                                                                          Every year, Petrus staff, service users               raised almost £5,000                                             If you would like to find out
                                                                          and volunteers come together to                       through their sponsored         The Kaleidoscope Ginnel          more about our time at the
                                                                          design a garden to build for the RHS                  13.5 mile walk, as well as      Garden became a shining          show, please visit our
                                                                          Tatton Park Flower Show. This year,                   donating flowers, fruit trees,   example how Rochdale is         website:
                                                                          we were delighted to be invited by                    planters and more to help       united through community         www.petrus.org.uk/tatton
                                                                          the RHS to produce the show’s only
                                                                          feature garden, the Ginnel Garden.


                                                                          Bigger than anything we had created
                                                                          at the show before, we looked to the
                                                                          Rochdale community to help and our
                                                                          vision for the ‘Kaleidoscope Ginnel,’
                                                                          started to come to life.


                                                                          We ran sessions with pupils at
                                                                          Falinge Park High School, guiding
                                                                          them to create colourful glass floral
                                                                          mosaics that were set into wooden
                                                                          panels.


                                                                          Volunteers from youth work
                                                                          charity Aspire 2 Inspire shared
                                                                          words of friendship and community,
                                                                          which were etched onto metal

                                                                                                                                                                    Michelle Singer and Stu Richards

          REAL ROCHDALE - AUTUMN 2024                       42                                                                                                                    43                    REAL ROCHDALE - AUTUMN 2024
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